Container dispensing



Oct. 5, 1965 R. J. NICHOL CONTAINER DISPENSING Filed April 27, 1964 FIG.3

INVENTOR Rlchord J. Nlchol ORNEYS dim ATT FIG. 2

United States Patent 3,209,953 CONTAlNER DISPENSING Richard J. Nichol,Mount Kisco, N.Y., assignor to Avon Products, Inc., a corporation of NewYork Filed Apr. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 362,858 13 Claims. (Cl. 222-182) Thepresent invention relates to an improved container dispensing cap forcontainers holding a pressurized product and more particularly to a capconstructed in such a manner whereby inadvertent and unauthorizeddischarge of the product is effectively prevented and whereby dischargeof the contents when desired will be effected in a direction away fromthe users hand.

Aerosol containers are presently very popular devices for holdingliquefied products which are to be dispensed in the form of a mist orspray. Generally, these containers include a hollow valve stem extendingoutwardly from the container and over which a suitable actuatingmechanism is placed. The actuating mechanism may be in the form of abutton having a discharge orifice connecting the hollow valve stem tothe atmosphere. By depressing the button, the valve stem will be causedto move downwardly to open a suitable valve connecting the stem to theinterior of the container. The container is, in turn, filled with theliquid product to be dispensed and a pressurized medium such as Freon orthe like whereby opening of the valve mechanism through actua tion ofthe button will cause the product to move through the valve stem and thedischarge passageway of the button and issue therefrom in the form of amist.

The valve stems provided on aerosol containers of this type are usuallyquite small in diameter and length due to the fact that the passagewaysextending therethrough are extremely small in diameter for purposes ofeffecting a proper discharge of the contents. Accordingly, the buttonactuators associated with these valve stems in presently availableaerosol containers have likewise been made small. Although dispensing ofthe product through these small buttons is easily accomplished, thesmallness of the actuating button does not readily permit a visualindication of the direction in which the nozzle outlet of the button ispointed and therefore, if the user is not careful, it is quite easy todepress the button when the nozzle is pointed in a direction toward theuser. In many situations, this is obviously undesirable as, for example,when the container holds a product which is not a cosmetic and not to beapplied to the individual.

In addition to this, aerosol containers incorporating a small button notmuch larger than the size of the valve stem are susceptible to breakageof the valve stem and button due to the fact that these parts areexposed and not well supported against accidental unrestrained bending.To avoid this tendency, aerosol containers employing small actuatingbuttons are usually provided with a separate cap adapted to be placedover the exposed button when the container is not being used. Each time,however, it is desired to dispense part of the product from within thecontainer, this cap must be removed to provide access to the actuatingbutton. Of course, removal of the cap prior to dispensing is notdifficult or unduly time consuming; however, the mere fact that aseparate cap is used, does add some inconvenience and provides anenvironment in which the cap may be lost or damaged while the containeris being used.

To avoid these and other related disadvantages of aerosol containersconstructed in this manner, it has been proposed to provide the valvestem of the container with an enlarged button head and to reciprocablymount this button within a cover member which is in turn adapted toremain on the container during dispensing of the 3,Z9,953 Patented Get.5, 1965 "ice product. To permit access to the button, this type of covermember is provided with an opening in the top portion thereof. Thisopening is disposed in alignment with the button, and the button is, inturn, provided with an upper surface extending into the opening andterminating along the outer surface of the cover. Finally, the dischargenozzle portion of the button of these containers is positioned withinthe cover and in alignment with a small opening in the side of the coverto permit the dispensing of the contents. Containers constructed in thismanner require no disassembly before use and provide an actuating buttonwhich is sufficiently supported against accidental breakage.

For purposes of indicating the direction of discharge of the contentsthrough the discharge nozzle portion of these actuating buttons, theopening in the cover of these containers has in some cases been formedwith a pointed edge directed toward the nozzle opening and with the headportion of the button formed in a similar contour. This provides anindication as to how the container is to be held by the user to assurethat the nozzle will be pointed away from the hand; however, anunobservant user could just as easily actuate the button with the nozzlepointed in the wrong direction and this is particularly possible due tothe fact that the actual discharge nozzle of the containers constructedin this manner is disposed wholly within the cover and only incommunication with the outside through the small opening in the side ofthe cover.

In addition to the above, containers employing caps constructed in thismanner are susceptible to inadvertent and unauthorized dispensing of theproduct since the actuating button of these containers is completelyexposed along the top surface of the cap. Once these containers havebeen purchased by the ultimate consumer, this does not present too muchof a problem; however, during shipping and storing, care must be takento assure that other containers or objects are not pressed against thecontainer tops to depress the actuating buttons and thereby causedispensing of the product. Also, in displaying these containers in theretail stores, for example, they are readily susceptible to unauthorizeduse because of the exposed nature of the actuating button. This isparticularly true where the containers are filled with products that arebeing sold for their fragrance as, for example, room fresheners and itis desired to discover the fragrance of the particular product beforepurchasing it. Also, children might be intrigued by these containers anddispense the product without purchasing them. Although the amount ofproduct lost by this unauthorized use Will probably be small, thecustomer who does finally purchase a particular container likes to feelthat he is getting a completely filled container.

According to the teachings of the present invention, an improvedcontainer and dispensing cap construction is provided in which the abovementioned disadvantages of conventional constructions are eliminated.

Generally, the dispensing cap of the present invention is of the typewherein the actuating button is provided with an enlarged head slidablymounted within a cover member. In addition to this, however, thecontainer cap of the present invention is provided with a protectivehood overlying the actuating button. This hood not only preventsaccidental discharge of the product contained within the container byobjects being pressed against the top of the cap but also requires thatthe discharge nozzle be pointed in a direction away from the users handbefore any product can be dispensed. Also, as a deterrent againstunauthorized dispensing of the product, a frangible member is formed onthe cover portion of the cap to restrict access to the actuating button.This member is constructed and fixed to the cap in such a way wherebyunauthorized access to the actuating button is effectively prevented yetthe frangible member is readily breakable when the container is used thefirst time so as to thereafter provide free access to the actuatingbutton.

A more complete understanding of the present invention will be obtainedby examination of the following specification and accompanying drawingsof which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container dispensing cap of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation partially broken away of the cover portionof the cap; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container cap of FIG. 1 securedto a container.

As shown in FIG. 1, the container dispensing cap generally designated 1comprises a container cover 2 and an actuating button 3. The cover 2includes an outer cylindrical wall 4 and an inwardly spaced innercylindrical wall 5, both of which terminate in an upper wall 6. Theupper wall is cut away at 7 to provide a V-shaped opening 8 to theinterior of the cover. This opening extends from the outer wall 4 of thecover diametrically across the wall 6 to the inner wall 5. The sidewalls 4 and of the cover are in turn provided with a U-shaped opening 9extending downwardly from the Wall 6 to form a continuation of theopening 8.

Covering the opening 8 is a curved tapered guard member 10 which isfixed to the cover 6 along the edge of the opening 8 and terminates inan edge 11 generally disposed above the U-shaped opening 9. The U-shapedopening 9 and the edge 11 of the guard together define an access opening12 which is generally circular in crosssection as shown in FIG. 2.

A removable guard member comprising a frangible elongated member 13 issecured to the cover 2 with one end 14 attached to the hood and theother end 15 to the portion of the cover defined by the U-shaped opening9. This member divides the access opening 12 into two substantiallyequal halves for purposes more fully described below.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inner wall 5 on the side of the coverdiametrically opposite the access opening 12 is provided with aninverted U-shaped opening 16 extending upwardly from the lower edge 17thereof. The inner surface of the wall 5 adjacent the edge 17 is inaddition provided with a latching groove 18 for purposes more fullydescribed below. Cooperating with the opening 16 is an enlargeddischarge opening 19 extending through the wall 4 and into alignmentwith the opening 16. In the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the cover portion 2 of the cap is molded as an integral piecefrom a suitable plastic material.

Slidably mounted within the cover 2 is the actuating button 3. As shownin FIG. 3, this button includes a hollow depending discharge stem 20 andan enlarged cup-shaped head 21 securely connected thereto by means ofthe bridging member 22. The upper surface of the head 21 is providedwith a recessed actuating portion 23 substantially complementary inshape to the opening 8 of the cover. This recess terminates along thecylindrical Wall portion 24 of the head in a U-shaped recess 25substantially complementary in shape to the opening 9 of the cover. Theactuating portion 23 of the button 3 is divided into three zones, 3.central zone 23, and two side zones 23".

On the part of the wall 24 of the button head 21 diametrically oppositethe recess 25 is an outwardly extending nozzle 26. To connect the nozzleto the interior of the discharge stem 20, a passageway 27 is provided inthe portion of the bridging member 22 which extends between the nozzleand the discharge stem. As with the cover portion 2 of the cap, thebutton 3 is preferably molded as an integral piece from a suitableplastic material.

When the actuating button 3 is positioned within the cover 2, the nozzle26 will be slidably disposed within the opening 16 of the inner wall 5of the cover and in alignment with the discharge opening 19, while thewall 24 of the enlarged head 21 will be slidably positioned within theinner wall 5. A slight looseness between the head 21 and inner Wall 5 isprovided for purposes of permitting the head to cant or tip within thecover as more fully described below.

FIG. 3 shows the container cap 1 including the cover and button portionssecured to a container 28. The container has a wall portion 29 and acover 30 secured thereto at one end 31. The cover 30 is provided with acentral valve opening 32 in whichis secured a valve mechanism generallydesignated as 33. The valve mechanism includes a disc shaped member 34fixed to the container across the valve opening 32 and having adepressible valve stem 35 extending outwardly therefrom. The valve stem35 is made of resilient material so as to be capable of bending slightlyfrom side to side and upon depression thereof will open communicationbetween it and the interior of the container.

With the cap 1 in the position shown in FIG. 3, the inner wall 5 of thecover 2 will engage the container 28 along the edge of the valve opening32 with the latching groove 18 holding the cover 2 thereon butpermitting rotation of the cap on the container about the valve stem 35.The outer wall 4 of the cover 2 will, in turn, rest on the container ata point disposed outwardly of the opening 32 as shown.

Also, the button portion of the cap 1 will be positioned with thedischarge stem 20 seated on the valve stem 35 and with its upper surfacepositioned slightly above the access opening 9 of the cover 2.

With the above described construction, the guard 10 provides aprotective covering preventing accidental depression of the bottom 3;and together with the access opening 12 and the diametrically disposednozzle 26 provides a container in which, under normal conditions, thebutton 3 can only be depressed by the user while held in his hand withthe discharge nozzle pointed away from the hand.

Also, the frangible member 13 being positioned over the access opening12 acts as a deterrent against unauthorized use of the container, sinceit effectively divides the access opening 12 into two substantiallyequal halves which are not large enough to permit easy entrance of theintended users finger. And due to the contour of the actuating portionof the button, the flexible nature of the valve stem 35, and themounting of the cap on the container, depression along the sides 23" ofthe actuating portion without corresponding depression of the centralzone 23' will only tip the button and tend to rotate the entire capabout the valve stem 35 and not pro duce the required depression thereoffor causing the valve 33 to open. 7

The above description describes the preferred construction of thepresent invention; however, it is to be understood that various changescan be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as setforth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an aerosol container having an outwardly extending flexible valvestem operative to effect communication between said stem and theinterior of said container upon depression thereof: a dispensing capsecured to said container over said valve stem and comprising:

(a) a cover member including:

(1) a top wall overlying said valve stem,

(2) a depending side wall connecting said top wall to said containeraround said valve stem,

(3) a first opening in the top wall extending to the periphery thereof,

(4) a second opening in the depending side wall extending to theperiphery of the top wall and into alignment with said first opening,

(5) a third opening in the opposite side of said side wall,

(6) a fixed guard member secured to said top wall over said firstopening and terminating adjacent the periphery of said top wall abovesaid second opening to define an access opening, and

(7) a removable guard member removably secured to said cover andextending across said access opening; and

(b) a valve actuating button slidably and loosely mounted within saidcover for movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to saidtop wall and canting about the direction of movement and including:

(1) an actuating portion disposed within said access opening,

(2) a discharge nozzle fixed to the side wall of said button inalignment with said third opens,

(3) a dispensing discharge stem fixed to the interior of said button andseated on said valve stem, and

(4) a passageway connecting said discharge stem to said nozzle.

2. In an aerosol container having a dispensing cap as set forth in claim1, wherein:

(a) said dispensing cap is rotatably secured to said container forrotation about said valve stem.

3. In an aerosol container having a dispensing cap as set forth in claim2, wherein:

(a) said removable guard comprises a frangible elongated memberextending substantially midway across said access opening in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the top wall of said cover.

4. In an aerosol container having an outwardly extending flexible valvestem operative to effect communication between said stern and theinterior of said container upon depression thereof: a dispensing capsecured to said container over said valve stem and comprising:

(a) a cover member including:

( 1) a top wall overlying said valve stem,

(2) a depending side wall connecting said top wall to said containeraround said valve stem,

(3) a substantially V-shaped opening in the top wall of the cover withthe spaced sides thereof extending to the periphery of said top wall,

(4) a U-shaped opening in the side wall of the cover with the spacedsides thereof extending to the periphery of said top wall and intoalignment with the V-shaped opening,

(5) a nozzle opening on said side wall diametrically opposite saidU-shaped opening,

(6) a curved, tapered guard fixed to said cover along the sides of saidV-shaped opening and terminating adjacent the periphery of said top wallabove said U-shaped opening to define an access opening substantiallycircular in shape, and

(7) a frangible elongated member fixed at one end to said guard and atits other end to the depending side wall at the base of said U-shapedopening and extending diametrically across said access opening tosusbtantially prevent operative access therethrough; and

(b) a valve actuating button slidably and loosely mounted within saidcover for movement in a direction substantially perpendicular to saidtop wall and canting about the direction of movement and including:

(1) an enlarged inverted cup-shaped head,

(2) a recessed actuating portion in the upper surface of said headterminating at the periphery of the head in an edge substantiallycomplementary in shape to the U-shaped opening of said cover anddisposed thereabove,

(3) 21 depending discharge stem fixed to the interior of said head andseated on said valve stem,

(4) a discharge nozzle fixed to the side of said head in alignment withsaid nozzle opening, and

(5) a passageway connecting said discharge stem to said nozzle.

5. In an aerosol container having a dispensing cap as set forth in claim4, wherein:

(a) said dispensing cap is rotatably secured to said container forrotation about said valve stem.

6. A container dispensing cap comprising:

(a) a cover member including:

(1) a top wall,

(2) a depending side wall,

(3) a first opening in the top wall extending to the periphery thereof,

(4) a second opening in the depending side wall extending to theperiphery of the top wall and into alignment with said first opening,

(5) a third opening in the opposite side of said side wall, and

(6) a fixed guard member secured to said top wall over said firstopening and terminating adjacent the periphery of said top wall abovesaid second opening to define an access opening; and

(b) a valve actuating button slidably mounted within said cover memberand including:

(1) an actuating portion disposed within said access opening,

(2) a discharge nozzle fixed to the side wall of said button inalignment with said third opening,

(3) a depending discharge stem fixed to the interior of said button, and

(4) a passageway connecting said discharge stem to said nozzle.

7. A container dispensing cap as set forth in claim 6,

further including:

(a) a removable guard member removably secured to said cover andextending across said access opening.

8. A container dispensing cap as set forth in claim 7,

wherein:

(a) said removable guard comprises a frangible elongated memberextending substantially midway across said access opening in a directionperpendicular to the top wall of said cover to substantially preventoperative access to said actuating button.

9. A container dispensing cap as set forth in claim 8,

wherein:

(a) said cover member and said actuating button are each formed ofintegrally molded plastic material.

10. An aerosol container dispensing cap comprising:

(a) a cover member including:

(1) a top wall,

(2) a depending side wall,

(3) a substantially V-shaped opening in the top wall of the cover withthe spaced sides thereof extending to the periphery of said top wall,

(4) a U-shaped opening in the side wall of the cover with the spacedsidesthereof extending to the periphery of said top wall and intoalignment with the V-shaped opening,

(5 a nozzle opening on said side wall diametrically opposite saidU-shaped opening, and

(6) a curved, tapered guard fixed to said cover along the sides of saidV-shaped opening and terminating adjacent the periphery of said top wallabove said U-shaped opening to define an access opening substantiallycircular in shape; and

(b) a valve actuating button slidably mounted within said cover formovement in a direction substantially perpendicular to the top wall ofsaid cover and including:

(1) an enlarged, inverted cup-shaped head,

7 8 (2) a recessed actuating portion in the upper sur- 12. An aerosolcontainer dispensing cap as set forth face of said head terminating atthe periphery in claim 11 wherein: of the head in an edge substantiallycomple- (a) said edge of the recessed actuating portion of the mentaryin shape to the U-shaped opening of valve actuating button is disposedabove the base of said cover, 5 the U-shaped opening of said cover, and(3) a depending discharge stern fixed to the inte- (b) said valveactuating button is mounted within said rior of said head, cover forcanting about said direction of movement. (4) a discharge nozzle fixedto the side of said 13. An aerosol container dispensing cap as set forthin head in alignment with said nozzle opening, and claim 12 wherein: (5)a passageway connecting said discharge stem 10 (a) said cover member andsaid valve actuating button to said nozzle. are each formed ofintegrally molded plastic mate- 11. An aerosol container dispensing capas set forth in rial. claim 10, further including: I References Cited bythe Examiner (a) a frangible elongated member fixed at one end to saidguard and at its other end to the depending side 5 UNITED STATES PATENTSwall at the base of said U-shaped opening and ex- 3,006,510 10/61 sagfmnZZZ-394x tending diametrically across said access opening to 3,137,4146/64 'Stemkamp 222182 substantially prevent operative accesstherethrough. LOUIS J DEMBO, Primary E i r,

1. IN AN AEROSOL CONTAINER HAVING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLEXIBLE VALVESTEM OPERATIVE TO EFFECT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID STEM AND THEINTERIOR OF SAID CONTAINER UPON DEPRESSION THEREOF: A DISPENSING CAPSECURED TO SAID CONTAINER OVER SAID VALVE STEM AND COMPRISING: (A) ACOVER MEMBER INCLUDING: (1) A TOP WALL OVERLYING SAID VALVE STEM, (2) ADEPENDING SIDE WALL CONNECTING SAID TOP WALL TO SAID CONTAINER AROUNDSAID VALVE STEM, (3) A FIRST OPENING IN THE TOP WALL EXTENDING TO THEPERIPHERY THEREOF, (4) A SECOND OPENING IN THE DEPENDING SIDE WALLEXTENDING TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE TOP WALL AND INTO ALIGNMENT WITH SAIDFIRST OPENING, (5) A THIRD OPENING IN THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID SIDEWALL, (6) A FIXED GUARD MEMBER SECURED TO SAID TOP WALL OVER SAID FIRSTOPENING AND TERMINATING ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID TOP WALL ABOVESAID SECOND OPENING TO DEFINE AN ACCESS OPENING, AND (7) A REMOVABLEGUARD MEMBER REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID COVER AND EXTENDING ACROSS SAIDACCESS OPENING; AND (B) A VALVE ACTUATING BUTTON SLIDABLY AND LOOSELYMOUNTED WITHIN SAID COVER FOR MOVEMENT IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLYPERPENDICULAR TO SAID TOP WALL AND CANTING ABOUT THE DIRECTION OFMOVEMENT AND INCLUDING: (1) AN ACTUATING PORTION DISPOSED WITHIN SAIDACCESS OPENING, (2) A DISCHARGE NOZZLE FIXED TO THE SIDE WALL OF SAIDBUTTON IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID THIRD OPENING, (3) A DISPENSING DISCHARGESTEM FIXED TO THE INTERIOR OF SAID BUTTON AND SEATED ON SAID VALVE STEM,AND (4) A PASSAGEWAY CONNECTING SIAD DISCHARGE STEM TO SAID NOZZLE.